Medical saddle-bags



2 Sheets-Sheet '1.

' (N50 Model.) Q

E G. H. CARPENTER.

' MEDIGALSADDLEBAG I No. 253,975. Patented Feb. 21,1882.

Fiy. 2.

, WITNESSES: IEVENTOE:

M /L Y r ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

G.H.OA-RP'ENTER.

'MEDIGAL SADDLE BAGS.

No. 253,975. Patentedfeb. 21,1882.

A wnnnssgs: 4M

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STAT S PATENT OF ICE.

GEORGE E, CARPENTER, OF VMOOREFIELD, WESTVI'RGINIA.

MEDICAL-ISAPDLE-BAIGS.

SPECIFICATION; formingpart of Letters Patent No. 253,975, dated February 21,1882, Application filed March 21, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, DrpGnoaenH. CAR- PENTER, of Moorefield, in the county of Hardy and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Convertible Medical Saddle-Bags; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same.

The main'object of my invention is to provide for physiciansin country practice, or those combining a country and town practice, an

improved form of saddle .-'bags which may be readily converted into a hand-bag and buggy-chest. The seat-piece is attached to the pouches by a hinge-joint, and the saddle-strap used with it is adapted for detachable connection with the pouches, so as to serve as a handle when it is desired to thus convert the saddle-j bags. The pouches are formed of two parts,

which are hinged together, one being adapted to stand verticallyunsupported and the other to open outward, and when folded to be inclosed on the sides by the wings of the selfsupporting part.

In carrying out my invention I adopt the construction-and combination of parts hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figures 1 and 2'are en'd views of the saddlebags, Fig. 1 showing thepouches placed close together and the saddle-strap attached at each end, thus enabling them to be carried-like a hand-bag. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the saddle-bags connected as in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of one of the pouches, showing the folding part open; Fig. 5, a detail view.

In country practice the use of saddle-bags is almost a necessity,in consequence of the state of the roads or other circumstances frequently requiring the physician to make his professional visits on horseback, instead of employing a light vehicle,which is usually done when practicable. Saddle-bags cannot, however, be conveniently carried by hand, and when placed on the bottom of a vehicle will rarely maintain an erect position, so that the contents are liable to be spilled or disarranged. Hence many physiciansin country practice make use of saddle-bags for visits made on horseback and a chest or hand-bag for visits made in a vehicle.

But this practice necessitates frequent changing of the bottles and instrument-case and other contents of the saddle-bags to the'hand bag, or the reverse, which is always irksome and involves delay when haste. may be indispensable. To overcome this difficulty I have devised the plan of connecting the pouchesor pockets of saddle-bags by means of a handstrap,so that when desired they may be practically converted into a hand-bag and buggychest, as I will proceed to describe.

The pouches or pockets A A are shown connected bya broad leathern seat-piece, B, and saddle-strap (J, in the usual way. In practical use the strap 0 passes across the horses back in rear of the cantle of the saddle, and thus serves to preventthe bags becoming easilydisplaced or detached, as they would otherwise tend to do.

v To convert the bags, as above stated. said saddle-piece -.B is folded down between the pouches A A, and the latter placed close together, as shown in Figs. 1, 3. The two are then connected and held fastened together by the. strap O,whioh is extended across from end to end of the bags. V

The saddle-piece Bisjointed to the pouches A, since, it connected in the usual way, the leather would tend to crack and break in consequence of frequent bending at those points.

7 v The wires 'or rods E, that form the pintle of thejoints, have eyes a formed on one end, and to these eyes the ends of the strap 0 are permanently attached by means of metal loops F F, one of which, F, has a hook, I), Fig.. 5, formed 011 one end of it. When the pouches A A are placed close together, as indicated, the loops may be readily connected by the said book. It will be noted that such connection, and also the disconnection, of the loops may be efl'ected more quickly by reason of the hook not being pivoted or loosely pendent, and also because the loop of which it forms an attachment is hinged so that it can only swing vertically, and not laterally, and hence the hook I) is always in position for engagement with the adjacent loop.

The strap 0 is composed of two parts, and jointed at the middle by means of a loop, G, having two hooks, c, Fig. 1, that may engage with the ends of the pivot-rods E--that is to say, when the strap 0 is doubled or folded so that its two parts are parallel, as shown in Figs. 1,3, 4, books 0 are locked with the rods E, and the strap then serves as a handle for the saddle-bags, so that they may be conveniently carried like a hand-bag, or if placed in a buggy or other vehicle they will retain an upright position.

Thus by temporarily connecting the two pouches A A, as above described, the saddlebags are for the purposes of transportation by hand or in a vehicle practically converted into a double hand-bag; and it is to be notedthat the means by which this result is chiefly effected is the same saddle-strap O which forms a usual attachment of saddle-bags.

In constructing the pouches A, I make the body of the same of tinor other light and sufficiently rigid material. The body A has a transverse shelf, H, Figs. 3, 4, for supporting a row of bottles, and another row is placed below it on the bottom of the pouch. The aggregate length of the bottles and the projecting portions of their stoppers is just equal to the height of the space between the bottom of the pouch and shelf H, or between the shelf and the top piece, so that when the bottles are crowded back into their places the stoppers are held pressed down and cannot become loose and detached.

The folding part A of the pouches A consists of a tray-like receptacle having a hinged lid, 01, that constitutes its inner side. The said part A is hinged at its lower front corner so as to fold between the wings a of the body A, which, together with the bottom of part'A, project forward from the bottle-shelves, and thus inclose the sides of part A so as to exclude dust, hairs, 850., in traveling, and afford a certain protection from injury by blows or contact with other objects, besides enhancing the ornamental appearance of the pouch. The joints between the wings a e and part A are thus at the extreme front edge of the sides of the latter. When thus folded (Fig. 3) thelid d of the part A forms a vertical partition between the two receptacles A A, and serves to hold the bottles of part A in place, as well as the contents of the folding part A.

When the part A is open, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, and full section-lines, Fig. 4, it may lie horizontal, and when folded the lid (1 pushes back any bottles that may chance to be out of place, so that no special care is requisite in putting them back in position after use.

The folding part A is held closed by an automatic spring thumb-catch, I, attached to the top portion of the body A. By pressing the spring downward the folding part A is released.

The leather covering of the pouches proper is attached by bending the edges of the sheet metal over the edges of the leather and riveting them together.

The upper flap,f, will be made as short as practicable, so as not to interfere with convenient inspection of the upper row of bottles when the pouch is open. The button of the thumb-catch I passes through the flap f, and serves as a fastening for the strap g, that holds the flapfdown.

- I am aware that a saddle-bag pouch has been formed in two parts hinged together and having apartition hinged between them; also,that trunks and other forms of receptacles have been constructed of two parts, one of which is self-supporting and the other adapted to open outward therefrom.

Having thus described my invention',what I claim as new is- 1. The combination of the strap 0, loops F F, and catch or hook G, with the pouches A A and saddle-piece B, having devices for attachment of the strap, as shown and described.

2. The improved saddle-bags, consisting of the pouches formed of the self-supportin g part A, having lateral wings 0 e, and the folding part A, which is hinged at its lower edge to part A, so as to fold between its wings, and the seat-piece B, which connects the pouches, as shown and described.

3,. The combination, with the pouches A A and seat-piece B, of the rods or pintles E, by which said parts are jointed together, as and for the purpose specified.

G. H. CARPENTER.

Witnesses:

AMOS W. HART, SoLoN O. KEMoN. 

